These Motivating Quotes Will Help Start Your Day off Right

Motivating yourself can be tough, especially when you’re running on coffee, late nights, and early mornings — as most business owners do.

But there’s no shame in looking elsewhere for that motivation, especially when the world is so full of people dishing it out with their words and actions.

To energize you on those groggy mornings, here are ten incredibly motivational quotes from some truly inspirational figures.

1. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” — Lao Tzu

I felt it was befitting to start the list with this quote from ancient Chinese author and politician, Lao Tzu.

The simplicity of this quote doesn’t take away from its profundity. It may not be the first time you’ve heard of this quote, but make today the first time you reflect on it.

2. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.” — Mark Twain

Mark Twain was pretty good with words, and the world renowned author was certainly on his game when he wrote this.

This quote is perfect for those risky decisions that we all inevitably have to make, particularly in business. Whatever it is, Mr Twain thinks you should go for it.

3. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford

How important is a positive mindset? Henry Ford, the famous American industrialist, thinks it’s the difference between success and failure.

Start believing that you can achieve your goals, and you’re immediately far more likely to do so.

4. "I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." — Michael Jordan

Missed an opportunity recently? Michael Jordan missed 9,000, and yet he’s still considered one of the best Basketballers of all time. Plus, he got to star in Space Jam.

Failure is part of life, and every seasoned entrepreneur knows that it’s part of business, too. The key is to keep hustling anyway.

5. “It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop.” — Confucius

Although the Chinese Philosopher Confucius died in 467BC, his words still hold weight today as a reassurance to those who wonder if their slow progress is any progress at all.

Your business isn’t going to be moving at top speed all the time. You will face periods where you move at a snail’s pace, and that’s okay — so long as you keep moving.

6. "Identity is a prison you can never escape, but the way to redeem your past is not to run from it, but to try to understand it, and use it as a foundation to grow." — Jay-Z

I bet you weren’t expecting that quote to come from a Rapper, were you? Neither was I, and that only strengthens the power of this Jay-Z quote. Word.

7. "I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine." — Neil Armstrong

Although you may not spend your heartbeats on the Moon like Astronaut Neil Armstrong did back in 1969, this quote is enough to kickstart your day, and then some.

Richard Branson is a serial-entrepreneur and the Founder of Virgin Media, and if he can look on the bright side when opportunities pass him by, surely we all can, too?

9. "Many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires." — Nelson Mandela

It’s safe to say that although we all have our struggles, most of us will not have to spend 27 years in prison to reach our goals like Mr Mandela did.

His story is an inspiring one, and this quote gives us all hope that the struggles we face are all part of the bigger picture.

10. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” — Ayn Rand

Now we’re talking. Ayn Rand was a renowned novelist, and based on this quote, she had one heck of an outlook on life.

In business, some people may hope that your plans to fail, but it’s down to you to make sure that all they can do is hope. Let nobody stop you.

11. “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” — Steve Jobs

Let’s finish off with this power house, courtesy of Steve Jobs, the late genius behind Apple.

You can almost sense the passion behind the words in this quote, and because of what he achieved in his life, you know for a fact that he meant every syllable.

Time to Get Walking

Every quote above came from a person who talked the talk, but they also walked the walk. The latter is the reason why I thought them worthy of being quoted in the first place.

To achieve your goals, you too need to walk the walk, too. So what are you waiting for?

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